A Whole lot of Nothing
by Missyhissy3
Summary: Frothy/fluffy Post-Endgame fixer-upper.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: the characters are obviously not mine

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Paris-Torres residence:San Francisco

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She tossed him the brand new pillow and the brand new sheet, made of the latest spec of thermolactyl material and he arranged them haphazardly on the rather narrow looking bed.

"You know, I'm not sure the Big Guy'll actually _fit_ in this tiny thing! It's a _day_ bed, for you to lie on in here in the sun and read those novels of yours after taking a dip, or for taking a quick nap on when it's quiet. It was never meant for putting up guests! One day I guess we could think about putting a real bed in here... "

Instantly alert, she turned on him, eyes glaring, trying to keep her voice down in order not to disturb the sleeping infant slung across her front.

"No way! I'm not having you escaping out here to sleep in comfort! I need you! To help me with her!"

"Sure, I know that," he backtracked, "but anyway - like I said - the Big Guy'll never fit on it!"

She came to stand beside him to assess the situation.

"Oh? It's not _that_ small? You slept on it once, that time when you were in the targ house, remember?"

"How could I forget..." he replied as he put his arm around her shoulders, and leant in to plant a kiss on her temple to banish the unpleasant memory, whilst gazing down at their sleeping daughter. He looked up and went on, "But you know he's always had a few pounds on me..."

"Oh I see, been comparing notes all these years have you?" she said as she poked him in the ribs causing him to wince with mock indignation. Then she approached the replicator unit, one section of the casing of which was open, and she surveyed the remaining components strewn on the floor.

Pulling himself up to his full height and pulling in his stomach he went on, "I wouldn't say that... but a man has to keep tabs on the competition, doesn't he?"

"You cannot be serious, Tom!" he had her full attention now. Her hands went to her hips in a posture that caused the sleeping baby to protrude even further in front of her; a rather compelling illustration of her point.

"OK, I'll admit that things are different _now_, but it wasn't _that_ long ago that I still kept my eye on him around you, you know. I'm man enough to admit that."

"Well, man enough, you'll be interested to hear then that the Big Guy is in pretty good shape these days actually. You'll be surprised how much less of him there is now to fit in this bed!"

"Oh really? Well, perhaps he's trying to impress a certain Admiral?"

Her attention drifted again, as she selected the appropriate hypo-spanner, and negotiated her sleeping load into a position where she could crouch down to the level of the open panel; another part of her brain held up her side of the conversation nonetheless. "I don't think it's anything to do with anyone else, it's just he's had free time again - like all of the rest of the crew, apart from us new parents of course - time to look after himself I guess."

"So, what did that certain Admiral say last time you spoke to her? Did she mention the trip they took together a few weeks back?"

"Of course, she talked a little about it, it all sounded pretty intense. I can't imagine what she made of it all really."

He wandered up to stand behind her, watching her work and marvelling as ever at her dexterity when she was in her comfort zone; achieved this time despite the precious burden which ought to be enough to prevent anyone completing a task requiring such delicate adjustments.

Determined to get a more detailed response he pressed on.

"It was their first road trip alone together, surely they must've gotten a little more _intimate_, what with Seven out of the picture and everything? I mean we've been back for two months, what's to stop them now?"

Exasperated, she actually downed tools and looked up at him with incredulity.

"Tom, they went to Tevlik's moon together to commemorate a _massacre _- the massacre of over four thousand people, scores of them Chakotay's friends, that's hardly an aphrodisiac you know! Chakotay was pretty stirred up about the whole thing, I doubt his mind was occupied with thoughts of romancing the Captain - I mean _Admiral_."

Well and truly put in his place, he had to concede. However, he wasn't one to quit so easily these days, especially when he was convinced he wasn't completely off the mark.

"Good point... but all the same, surely all that time together must've made them both wake up and smell the roses? I mean it's a six day round trip! Alone together in that tiny rust bucket he insists on calling the Alpha Flyer."

"You're gonna have to just drop it, Tom, and leave them to it. They're both grown ups, you know..." She was back to work, this time balancing a small component on the clasp of the sling that held Miral to her.

"That's half their goddam problem! They're both so _responsible_! Come to think of it, why are we putting him out here, when she's going to be in the guest room? Maybe we should re-think?"

"Just listen to yourself! You sound like some matchmaking maiden Aunt! We'll have this whole weekend together, and they'll have as much or as little time alone as they choose. We'll just stay out of it, right?"

She had finished working on the exposed section of the replicator and he moved closer to offer her a hand up from crouching. He was too slow anticipating her, however, as by the time he extended his hand, she had already manoeuvred herself to stand using the wall as leverage and had replaced the outer casing of the unit. She surveyed her handiwork as he bent to fuss over Miral, very gently stroking her head, careful not to wake her. She didn't fail to notice his lack of acknowledgement of her request.

"I _said, _we'll just stay out of it, right?"

He addressed his wife with a well studied nonchalance, without looking up.

"Oh sure, honey. You know me. Soul of discretion."

"Why does that not reassure me in the least?" she threw back at him. He straightened up and smiled lovingly at her, opting for one of his signature evasion tactics.

"Well, anyway, the pool house is almost finished. At least the replicator, the plumbing and the heating systems are all up and running."

She handed him the hypo-spanner and motioned to him to help her collect up the rest of the tools.

"Here, let's get this stuff out of the way, so we can leave it looking less like a building site. I already warned him it's not finished, but he just offered to help with the last few things that need doing - said he'd actually prefer staying out here to being in the house, so he could get some peace away from Miral's nighttime antics I guess; and he jumped at the chance of a morning swim before the rest of us surface."

Tom closed the tool box, picked it up and followed her out onto the poolside.

'Well he's right about one thing, after the last few nights' 'sleep' I've had, I wouldn't mind staking out in there for the weekend myself…. I wonder if she will _ever _actually sleep through a whole night?"


	2. Chapter 2

He slid open one of the glass doors and they walked in. The floor length curtains on one side of the room were closed over, so it was darker than it had been outside in the late afternoon sunshine. She was surprised at how spacious the room was, whilst still managing to feel like a secluded retreat. B'Elanna had made it sound like there was still lots of work to do, but Kathryn thought they'd already created something quite outstanding.

"This is wonderful, already! I shall tell Tom I'll be expecting an invitation to the first Voyager reunion pool party here this summer. With no furniture like this it almost feels like a ballroom!"

"Now that's a good idea. I'd love to be your escort, Kathryn. Can I mark your dance card now?" He turned to ask her, as they stood just inside the door, taking in the space before them. Certainly hard to refuse, delivered with full dimples and a grin, but just a little too self-assured perhaps? She punctuated her reply with a couple of playfully patronising pats to his upper arm.

"Well, Mister Chakotay, that would be several months away still, who knows how many tempting offers I'll have had by then... I'll have to let you know nearer the time."

"I see, it's like that is it." He took it on the chin and maintained the smile as he walked over to draw back the remaining floor length curtains to let more light in. "Well, you can't blame a man for trying."

"No, you certainly can't. Now tell me I'm mistaken, because there's no way you can really be intending to sleep on that tiny thing! You won't fit!" she gestured towards the day bed.

"I'll try not to take that to heart, Kathryn, but yes, I do intend to sleep on that. And I'm sure I'll be just fine."

The hands went to her hips, she squared up opposite him meaning business.

"Seriously, Chakotay, we should swap, you take the guest room – it has a king-sized bed - and I'll happily sleep out here, I don't mind roughing it, especially if it saves your aching old back."

"Less of the old, and my back does not ache, thank you very much! As I said, I'll be just fine out here."

"You're sure? It seems terribly unfair!"

"Really. I'm sure. I've been looking forward to being the first to stay in here."

"Well, if you insist," she relented, "the guest room is lovely, and I've already settled in rather nicely thank you."

She turned away from him to drink in the wonderful late-afternoon sun streaming through the floor to ceiling windows of the west-facing side of the pool house. For once Tom Paris hadn't been exaggerating. She could easily see how this irregular hexagonal room would be the perfect flexible space to accommodate any Paris-Torres child or children's future demands for a play house, den, games room, safe haven ...as well as being an ideal space for adult entertaining. Fit a few emitters and it was almost big enough to work as a home-holosuite. There was a separate bathroom area, but save the day bed and a couple of brand new chairs, the main area was just wonderful empty space at the moment, waiting for someone's imagination to define it.

Chakotay deposited his things on the little bed, and stood a while, hands in his pockets, savouring her obvious delight as he watched her spin on her heels and take in the room itself and then the panoramic view the curtains had revealed. Eventually he said,

"Come on, let's go find our hosts and see what's cooking."

"Good idea, perhaps we can help with preparing dinner?"

"Guess that might depend on how daring they're feeling these days...Whether they're still prepared to take a few risks..." he winked.

An arched eyebrow accompanied her smile, but she conceded graciously,

"Point taken, I know marriage does sometimes make people start to play it safe a little more."

"Do you think it'd have that effect on you, Kathryn?" his hand found it's way to the small of her back as they headed for the door together.

"That's a question I'd find hard to answer!" she evaded. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, just because. Kathryn Janeway and playing it safe just don't seem to go together in my mind. You can't blame a man for being curious. "

"It seems you can't be blamed for much today!"

"Well if that's the case, I'll just have to see what I can get away with then, won't I?"


	3. Chapter 3

They crawled back into their enormous, comfortable bed, exhausted.

"I can't believe it still takes both of us to get her to go back to sleep! It's like a tactical training scenario!"

"I know what you mean. I just hope she's going to decide she's a daddy's girl some time soon, so Mommy can take an extended break."

"Aren't I doing enough to give you a break already? I seem to remember I was the one who did all the cooking tonight..."

"And it was delicious, Tom. I take back everything I said about your tastes being limited to junkie food, or whatever you called it. You outdid yourself, I'm actually proud of you."

"Well, thank you... I think?"

"No really, we all enjoyed it, it was a triumph, I've never seen Kathryn eat that much! You can make it again whenever you want. How does Sunday Sound?"

"I think we could've fed them pretty much anything actually, as long as they were allowed to play footsie under the table all night! Honestly! You were the one who said they're grown ups – could've fooled me! It was like listening to a couple of hormone-driven teenagers all evening! That was some serious flirting!"

"Yes, but that doesn't mean anything will _change._ You know what they're like.

"Don't be so sure. A moonlight swim and a bottle of champagne might just be enough."

"You're serious, aren't you? Tom, you really don't know them at all, do you? Even after all this time! OK, Let me spell it out for you. Firstly, it's freezing out there even though the pool's heated, and Chakotay hates the cold almost as much as I do; secondly he hardly ever drinks more than about a teaspoon full of any sort of alcohol. So, once they get out there and realise how cold it is, she'll be sloping off inside to the comfort of the guest room and he'll probably end up tucked up in that little daybed reading some dull anthropology tome he's brought with him before we've even got Miral back down after her late-night feed."

"So I guess you think it'd take some major crisis involving near death and the destruction of the multiverse for them to act on their feelings for each other?"

"Well, I don't know - it'd have to be something pretty big."

"You know what? I just don't buy it! They've been there, done that, got the damned t-shirts, haven't they? And what happened? Zip! That's what! No, what they need is a whole lot of nothing going on... for just long enough."

"Nice theory, but I still think you're way off course on this one, flyboy."

"Just because it took asphyxiation for you to admit you loved me doesn't mean that's what works for everyone else you know!"

"Sorry to disappoint you, but you really aren't going to get much interest in starting up the betting pool again from me or Miral..."

"Hmm, well I guess we'll see who's right in the morning, won't we?"

"I guess so."


	4. Chapter 4

"Are you sure about this?"

"Noooo, so let's do it quick before I change my mind!"

"You're on." He said, as he quickly took off the thick, fleecy robe he'd been wearing and tossed it onto one of the recliners. He felt the cold air hit him immediately and goose bumps come up on his arms and legs. He grinned at her, quickly took the few steps up to the edge of the pool and dove straight in.

He'd hit the water before she'd even had time to appreciate just how much more bronze skin than she'd ever seen before had just flashed past her. Burnt orange swim shorts, _nice, _she thought.

"It's wonderful once you're in! Go for it!" he called.

"Some fortification may be called for – give me a minute!"

She opened the champagne with ease, and poured a little into the two glasses. One, she drained immediately, long before it'd even settled, enjoying the fizz of the bubbles as they went down. The other she allowed to settle, topped up and placed on the poolside for him. Then she refilled her glass and placed it along side his.

He swam up to the poolside where she was, stood up, the water reaching about half way up his chest and took a sip from the other glass, eyes on her all the time.

"Now I'm ready," she announced, removing her thick towelling robe with an uncharacteristic coyness, and inhaling abruptly as the night air washed over her body.

"You look beautiful, Kathryn," he said as he took in her classic black one-piece swimsuit.

"I could say the same – you're in rather good shape yourself, if you don't mind me saying so." She had already noticed the change in his appearance earlier.

"Mind? Why would I mind?" He set his glass back down and looked up at her questioningly, his face open.

"Oh I don't know… it's just not the sort of…" she faltered.

"I see. Not the sort of thing you usually think about where I'm concerned?" he offered as a resigned expression began to form on his face.

"That's not what I was going to say at all!" She replied quickly, earning a real smile in exchange.

"Good."

"Oh? Why's that?"

She didn't get an answer, as he'd already pushed off from the side and started swimming freestyle down the length of the pool. As he surfaced at the other end of the pool he called,

"I need to keep moving – to keep warm – come on, join me!"

She was already starting to freeze, so, not one to do things by halves, she followed his example and dove straight in as he watched.

"Ah! that's SO much better!"

"That was some dive, you're clearly quite a swimmer."

"Thank you, I do love to swim, especially if it's warm, like this."

"Me too. Now, come on, let's keep moving; show me your best stroke!"

He submerged and swam underwater, to come up next to her, towering over her when he stood, and finding himself surprised once again how much smaller she was without the trademark heels. Not that it was really of any significance. Kathryn Janeway would always be a force to be reckoned with.

"OK, here goes – breast stroke is my stroke of choice without goggles."

"Would you like some? I can replicate you some if you'd like, give me a chance to try the replicator in there. B'Elanna fitted it herself."

"No! Don't you dare get out of this wonderful, warm water. It's really not necessary, I'm fine without; here goes!"

She pushed off and reached the other side with strong, graceful strokes.

"Not bad, Admiral."

"Why thank you, Coach; but I wasn't expecting to be graded – this isn't a lesson you know!"

He followed her, doing the whole length underwater, to emerge close to her position, flicking his head briskly to get the water out of his eyes and splashing her inadvertently.

"You're right of course, forgive me."

"Always."

"Really? for anything?" he quipped, and swam closer to encircle her with his body almost. The ripples of water he was creating breaking over her. She rolled her eyes at him in response and then motioned towards the poolside saying,

"Better not offend our gracious hosts by letting that wonderful champagne go to waste, it was sweet of Tom to insist we bring it with us!" as she set off to where they'd left their glasses. They swam across side-by-side, her sticking mostly to the surface, him swimming just beneath, bodies bumping gently a couple of times.

She reached the side and stood up, the water reaching her collarbone. She picked up her glass and sipped. He came up behind her and reached around her for his glass. She turned and found herself pretty much within his arms as he rested one hand on the edge of pool, his warm skin brushing her shoulder.

"Well, this is nice!" she said, looking up at him with a flicker of a challenge in her night blue eyes.

"Yes, it certainly is," came the low reply, as he took a sip of his champagne and then carefully placed the glass down behind her, making no attempt to put any more distance between them, but rather enclosing her momentarily between his arms. Since returning from the Delta Quadrant, he'd actually had free time enough to exercise and succeed in losing the middle-aged spread that he hadn't had the focus to work off in their last few years out there. His body felt like his own again. The vague sense of physical unease that had been his constant companion in recent years was long gone; he felt all the better for it and it showed.

It was certainly more than nice, she thought, water being such an excellent conductor. She could feel warmth as well what seemed to her almost like electricity radiating from his body. She twisted behind her to put her glass down, and turned back to reconnect with his gaze. She pushed the few stray hairs that refused to stay in the braid out of her face, and studied the angles of his face close up, a question and a smile forming in her features. She watched as several droplets of water travelled down from his hairline, across his inked brow and down his cheek. This was different for them; it was like nothing they'd ever done before. The warm water lapped gently between them. She felt a wonderful sense of freedom she was quite unaccustomed to. It was as if she was being introduced to this man, all of this man in close up, for the first time.

She wondered, certainly _not_ for the first time, what went on behind those dark eyes.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I was about to ask you the same thing!" she laughed, "You looked like you had something on your mind…."

A tiny flicker of hesitation seemed to cross his face, and then his eyes crinkled and his face broke into a shy smile,

"Well now that you come to mention it…." The hand that had been resting on the pool side beside her shoulder entered the water and then she felt both his hands find her hips, and rest lightly on either side of her body.

"...there was something on my mind..."

"Oh?" the crooked smile and the delicate fingers that came up to trace lines across his chest were all the encouragement he needed. The light touch on her hips transitioned seamlessly into the movement of two strong arms that lifted her up to bring her against him. His warm hands slid down to fit perfectly around her beautiful backside as her legs wrapped themselves around his waist. Her fingers threaded up into his hair as his mouth closed over the 'Oh' still on her lips.

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xxx

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xxx

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Xxx

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Author's note: The re-launch books told us that "Since their return to the Alpha Quadrant they had both continued to sit in seeming contentedness by the side of the pool, occasionally dipping a flirtatious toe, but steering well clear of anything resembling a swim." I couldn't help wondering what would've happened if someone had let them get in.


	5. Chapter 5

She woke next morning to find herself precariously close to the edge of the impossibly narrow bed. In fact probably the only thing stopping her from having fallen out and onto the floor at some point in the night was the arm draped over her waist; an arm which anchored her against the wonderful, warm, firm body spooning her. That, and the fact that they were both wrapped up together enchilada-like in the sheet. She looked down and saw her swimsuit and his dark orange shorts entwined in a heap on the floor.

It almost defied the laws of physics that the two of them could possibly have spent the entire night in this bed, let alone have discovered the number of intensely pleasurable positions they had, within and around its tiny borders. On their exit from the pool they had also comprehensively christened the brand new shower cubicle. She hadn't known it was possible to give and receive so much love. They had exchanged those words for the first time; offered and confirmed them over and over.

She stretched, as much as was possible, and turned slowly within his embrace to rest her cheek again his chest. With her free hand she caressed his skin with her fingertips, smiling to herself as she registered the lingering sense of surprise in the back of her mind. It seemed comical now that it had never actually occurred to her that things between them could ever be anything other than complicated.

He stirred and shifted slightly, pulling her closer, eyes still closed.

"Good morning, Kathryn."

"Good morning." She reached up and pressed a kiss to his beautiful lips. He gradually came to life, and with one smooth motion the arm her head had been resting on moved to assist his other arm in lifting her on top of him as he turned onto his back, deepening the gentle kiss she'd started. The morning soon became a continuation of the exploration of the night before.

An hour or so later they stirred again.

"Do we need to talk about this, Chakotay? About what's going on here?"

His hand stoked her hair, fingers running through it, getting caught where it had become tangled, and starting to carefully work out the knot. She wondered briefly what on earth her hair must look like, after the previous evening's activities, and then there was this morning's... Given he'd seen her after having been assimilated, experimented on by aliens, bloodied and in cardiac arrest, she dismissed that thought and turned her attention back to him as he spoke.

"I guess so... where shall we start?"

"Well, I suppose I was just wondering, what made you decide now was the time for…. for this?" She looked up at him to see if she could gauge his reaction.

"I don't think this was _me_ deciding anything. It's about the two of us. It always has been, Kathryn."

She would never tire of hearing him say her name, and it sounded even better, in a lazy, sated morning voice, still laced with sleep.

"But still, why now?" she continued, as it was always satisfying to analyse and understand.

"We both know why it couldn't be this way out there, it was about survival. But now it isn't, it's about living...I know I needed time to work out what being back here means for me...so I guess the rest was just a matter of when we were both ready."

"That's it? You mean you think all this ... all this was really just about... _timing_?"

"That's one way of looking at it. Yes."

"It doesn't seem like enough of an explanation!"

He kissed the top of her head and his fingers lovingly caressed her back, reintroducing her to the wonderful sensations her nerves were capable of producing when given half a chance. Clearly it was enough for him. She fell silent and pressed further into his warmth. After several years of professional, emotional and inter-stella complications and angst, how could it be that they had just slotted together as easily as two of the large pieces in the beautiful wooden puzzle he was making for Miral? Finally she continued,

"And the first time you were ready, that was on New Earth?"

A chuckle and a wide, dimpled smile through still closed lashes were all she got in response. Guess she hadn't really needed to ask.

"Well, Mister Chakotay, no longer my first officer, I'm ready _now_."

He half-opened his eyes and looked down at her.

"And you're sure you're happy with that explanation, Kathryn? I mean if it's an anticlimax and you were wanting a bit more drama... some alien intervention... a fanfare... an audience... or maybe just some fireworks, I could go wake Tom and see what's left over from that party they threw for Admiral Paris' birthday last month?"

"Actually, some more of those indoor fireworks might be in or..."

He rolled her underneath him as she spoke and delved into her open mouth with all the confidence of a man who was _finally_ in exactly the right place at exactly the right time.


End file.
